GUNNER
The music starts and all I can think about is everything that I’ve been through with every woman that’s led to Sophie. I think about every opportunity that has led to this place, standing at the altar as her mother comes down the aisle, then Danny, then finally Valerie with Massimo’s arm in hers.
I glance into the crowd, all seated for thefourweddings that are taking place in sequence, and spot my family. My mother blows me a kiss as my dad dabs at the corner of his eyes. My sisters make kissy faces at me and stick out their tongues. I shouldn’t expect anything less on my wedding day.
I stand a little taller and double-check the flower in my lapel. My eyes flick over to Matthew and Bella. Bella doesn’t look half as pissy as I expected considering how things went at her wedding, but I’m not complaining in the slightest. If anything, I’m relieved.
She won’t be a problem. No one has crashed the wedding, unlike the rehearsal dinner, and the sun is bright and glorious in the sky with only a few white clouds to break up the blue. It’s perfect. Getting ready was perfect. And we finally made it here.
I take a deep breath, sure the weight of the moment is going to flood my system when Sophie walks down the aisle, but there’s a delay. One minute, another, a third, until the music finally starts. I glance at Massimo and he gives me a thumbs up, but I’m worried that Sophie isn’t going to be coming down the aisle. I’m worried it will just be her dad, coming to tell me the worst news.
But there she is.
“Holy fuck.” I laugh.
I put my fist over my mouth and laugh as tears spring to my eyes. Sophie looks like a goddess. She’s too good for me. That’s never been clearer. She’s beautiful, elegant, and beyond anything, I could ever expect or hope for in a woman. She’s a fucking angel and she’s giving herself to a mere mortal like me. It’s humbling as hell.
“No way she’s here for me.” I take a shaky breath.
Massimo chuckles and pats my shoulder. Sophie’s eyes water and she does the looking up trick I learned that girls do to avoid ruining their makeup. When she finally gets to me, I’m still taking in the thick white skirt, the bodice that teases me with the low cut between her breasts, then her flushed face.
Her gorgeous eyes water as her auburn hair cascades in curls over one shoulder. Finally, after what feels like years, I reach for her hand. Miles stands between us, catching my notice for the first time. He doesn’t say a word until Sophie elbows him, and then he hands her over with a grumble about trusting me with his daughter. Sophie kisses his cheek anyway when he finally steps back, allowing us to get closer.
No words are spoken by the officiant when it comes to her dad passing her off, just an exchange of hands and Miles saying, “I love you more than they ever can, honey.”
I shake my head, but my smile spreads wide. Sophie takes my hand, walks with me to the altar, then gently brushes the tears from the corners of my eye. “Gunner, you’re not allowed to cry.”
“Too late, sweets.”
“If you cry, I’m going to cry and we’re never going to get through our vows.” She says and I see her mom laugh lightly.
The officiant gets to work. He reads the poetry I selected for our wedding, says some other things that we knew were going to be said, and the whole time, I stroke Sophie’s hands, squeeze her fingers between mine, mouth to her that I love her, and try to distract her from the emotional speech. But her eyes are all misty and her face stays flushed and it looks like there is glitter on her skin.
She’s fucking enchanting. She, right here and now, is the whole definition of the word “love.”
“Gunner, I believe you are reading your vows first.” He says, looking at me.
I arch an eyebrow and Sophie nods. Fuck, she’s going to destroy me if she goes first, so I’m damn determined to be able to get through this, but I’m already nervous as hell to say things after choosing poetry for our ceremony. As if that’s not enough to end my super-macho reputation, these vows are going to do it without question.
I take an unsteady breath. “Are you ready for it, Sophie?”
“Am I ever ready for you?” She squeezes my hand.
Clearing my throat, I pull out my notes. “Sweets, you have driven me insane since the moment I saw you. You knocked the wind out of me and I still haven’t managed to catch my breath around you. The fact that you love my jokes, my flirting, my silly side, and make my heart burn with just a look has made it impossible for me to ignore you.”
“Gun.” She whispers.
“But then you inspired me to share more. To talk to you about my favorite books, to share the things I was taught no one would like. And the more I shared, the more you loved me. From reading romance together to planning surprise parties, to seeing you drunk and being together through the good and bad moments … it’s not enough. I need forever and I promise – I promise to love everything we have coming and to work through the difficult times without ever doubting you, your love, or your loyalty.”
I see a tear work down her cheek and catch it with my finger. “You’ll never have to cry alone, laugh alone, or spend a single day without knowing how much you mean to me. I can’t wait to be your husband and I’m ready to say I DO right now.”
She giggles and more tears slip. She takes a breath and dabs at her eyes quickly.
“I might need an hour between weddings.” She sniffs, her nose already red.
The audience laughs and she takes a slow breath while sucking on her bottom lip. She peeks at me through her eyelashes and takes a step toward me. “Gunner, I can honestly say I never saw you coming. You’re like a shooting star, impossible to predict and then … and then there. But you are ….” Her face goes red again and her lips tremble. “You aresoimportant to me.”
I nod, trying to keep her going as her eyes shine with tears.